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Roger D. Kornberg - Interview

Nobel Prize Talks: Roger D. Kornberg

Released 2014-04-24

This conversation with Roger Kornberg, 2006 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, was recorded during the Nobel Prize Inspiration Initiative events in Gothenburg. Here he discusses the importance of language, the benefits of frequent failure, and how he developed the art of focusing deeply on a problem.

Interview, December 2006

Interview with 2006 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Roger Kornberg, 6 December 2006. The interviewer is Adam Smith, Editor-in-Chief of Nobelprize.org.

Roger Kornberg discusses how the boundaries between scientific disciplines have become blurred and yet chemistry remains the "queen of all sciences", how doubt and self-confidence interrelate in scientific research (9:17), how the evolution of scientific enquiry has developed from a generalist position to one of narrowed focus (14:57), how he visualizes the complexity of the molecular machine (21:27), what compels students to join his research team (24:25), and how terribly important it is for everyone to have a basic understanding of chemistry (27:20).

Nobel Minds 2006

The Nobel Laureates of 2006 met at the Bernadotte Library in Stockholm, 9 December 2006, for the traditional round-table discussion and TV show 'Nobel Minds'. The show was hosted by Sarah Montague, a presenter on the BBC 'Today' programme. The Laureates discuss their achievements, their inspiration and motivation, and also answer questions e-mailed by visitors to BBC.com and Nobelprize.org.

Interview, October 2006

Telephone interview with Roger D. Kornberg immediately following the announcement of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 4 October 2006. The interviewer is Adam Smith, Editor-in-Chief of Nobelprize.org.